This invention relates to equipment for the recovery of the scrap value of recycled materials, and to apparatus for classifying and separating metal scrap. The invention is more particularly directed to method and apparatus for processing steel cans from a solid waste stream to render the steel scrap suitable for detinning.
There is currently no satisfactory system for processing steel cans or tin cans from ordinary household trash into a scrap form that is suited for recovery of the tin value of the steel material. When steel cans are discarded, the consumer will seldom or never remove the paper label and will almost never rinse out the can. Consequently, a significant amount of carbonaceous material, in the form of paper and food waste accompanies cans into the waste stream. This carbonaceous material is difficult to remove, either pyrolytically or mechanically. The paper waste also interferes with the detinning operation if it remains with the cans during the detinning process. The presence of paper is especially troublesome if the cans are crushed to densify the material.